Ankle and shin bone guard



United States Patent O 3,416,156 ANKLE AND SHlN BONE GUARD Ethel M. Marvid, 5316-18 S. Hoover St., Los Angeles, Calif. 90037 Filed Oct. 1, 1965, Ser. No. 492,062 3 Claims. (Cl. 2-22) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A protector for a ball players lower leg comprising an elongated pad having spaced rigid portions for guarding the players bor'ies about the ankle and a flexible intermediate portion for enabling the players foot free articulating movement about the ankle joint.

My invention relates generally to guard devices used by players in various sports such as baseball, for example, to protect particularly vulnerable parts of the body against injury during the course of a game.

Various injuries are quite commonly suffered by play ers when at bat during a baseball game, by being struck on the ankle or lower part of the leg by a curved ball hitting the end of the players bat, then bouncing back and striking the players ankle bone or shin bone, very often chipping the bone. This type of injury is quite prevalent particularly in the case of switch hitters when a left handed batter is batting against a right handed pitcher or vice versa. As a result of such an injury, a valuable and expensive player can be incapacitated for an indefinite period of time.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a simple, durable and comparatively inexpensive device which is structurally characterized to effectively protect against injury, the tibia and the astragalus articulating with the tibia to form the ankle joint, all to the end of preventing chipping or other severe bone damage by a pitched ball deflected from the bat of a batter and striking the tibia.

Another object of my invention is to provide a guard device as above set forth which can be worn without discomfort, and enables free and unrestricted normal articulating movement of the foot about the ankle joint to be effected, yet adequately protects the bones of the ankle joint against injury.

With t-hese and other objects in view, my invention resides in the combinations, arrangements and 'functional relationships of elements as set forth in the following specification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

FIGURE l is a view showing in front elevation, one form of guard device embodying my invention;

FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 are transverse sectional views taken on the lines 2-2, 3 3 and 4--4, respectively, of FIGURE 1, and looking in the direction of the respective arrows; and

FIGURE 5 is an elevational view illustrating the guard device applied to the inner side of the right leg of a player in protecting relation to the ankle joint.

Referring specifically to the drawing, my invention in its illustrated embodiment comprises a body lor base member B composed of an elongated pad of cushioning material such as sponge rubber or a plastic sponge or quilted material, which is covered on its sides by top and bottom sheets 11 and 12, respectively, of flexible leather, cloth or plastic, with similar material forming a binding 13 around the edges of the pad, sewed through the binding and the sheets 11 and 12 by a line of stitching 14.

3,416,156 Patented Dec. 17, 1968 ICC The body 10 is laterally curved in plan as shown in FIG- URE 1, with its upper end 15 substantially square and its lower end rounded at 16, the lateral curvature being to the right or left according as the guard is to be worn on the inner side of the left or right leg to overlie the ankle joint and the lower end of the tibia. 4

The body B maintained in a transversely arched position to comfortably fit about the ankle joint and shin, by means of guard members in the form of laterally curved plates 20 and 21 molded of rigid material such as fibre or plastic. The plates 20 and 21 are fastened to the body B by Abeing sewed through the cover sheets 11 and 12 by lines of stitching 22 and 23,` respectively, with the plate 20being located on the body B to overlie and protect the malleolus of the tibia at the ankle joint, whereas the plate 21 is located on the body B to overlie and protect the tibia at the shin.

The plates 20"and 21 are spaced apart on the body B to permit free and unrestricted flexing of the body at the intervening portion 24 thereof in response to articulation of theastragalus with the tibia so as not hinder natural movements of the player when at bat; when running the bases; or slidingY to steal a base. The plate 20 is provided with an elongated Adomed projection 25, whereas the plate 21 is provided with a plurality of elongated domed projections 26 which function to deflect a ball striking the plates so as to minimize the impact of the ball as much as possible.

Attaching members in the form of straps 30 and 31 of nylon or other non-stretching taps, are secured between the plates 20 and 21, respectively, and the cover sheet 11 by the lines of stitching 22 and 23, respectively. These straps are provided at one end with a ring 32 adapted to receive a hook 33 on the other end of the straps to fasten the guard on the inner side of the leg in a position over- Alying the lower end of the tibia and the ankle joint as shown in FIGURE 5, with the strap 30 extending under the shoe at the instep, and the strap 31 embracing the leg, all as clearly shown in this figure. With the guard applied in this manner to the leg of a batter, a ball striking the guard will be deflected and the blow cushioned sufficiently to adequately protect the inner malleolus formed by the process at the foot of the tibia, as well as the astragalus or ball of the ankle joint, and the adjacent portion of the tibia against chipping or any injury which might incapacitate the player.

I claim:

1. A protector for the bones of the ankle joint cornprising: an elongated flexible pad of cushioning material having upper and lower end portions with said lower end portion gradually curved laterally relative to said upper portion; rigid arched ball-deflecting members fastened to one side of the flexible pad and maintaining the latter in a transversely arched position to render the flexible pad capable of fitting the malleolus and the adjacent portion of the tibia for protection thereof; said members being spaced apart on the flexible pad a sufficient distance providing an intervening portion of the pad which is free to flex in response to articulation of the astragalus with the tibia so that the protector will not hinder natural foot movements of the wearer; and attaching means co-acting with said flexible pad to secure the body in its applied position.

2. The protector as embodied in claim 1 wherein top and bottom cover sheets of flexible material receive the pad therebetween, binding enclosing the peripheral edge portions of the pad and top and bottom cover sheets, said ball-deflecting members being on said top cover sheet, and stitch means securing said binding to said edge portions and securing said ball-deecting members to said pad and said top and bottom cover sheets.

3. The protector as embodied in claim 1 wherein top and bottom cover sheets of exible material receive the pad therebetween, binding enclosing the peripheral edge portions of the pad and top and bottom cover sheets, said ball-dellecting members being on said top cover sheet and stitch means securing said binding to said edge portions and said ball-deflecting members to said pad and said top and bottom cover sheets, said attaching means comprising straps fastened between the top cover sheet and said members by said stitch means and having sep- References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS 607,243 7/1898 Hu 2-22 X 5 2,563,763 8/1951 Vietas 2-22 3,153,864 10/1964 Brewer 2--22 X 3,268,912 8/1966 Whelan 2-22 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

10 G. H. KRIZMANICH, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 36--1.5 

